Indicators for medicine bottles and the like



United States Patent f INDICATORS FOR MEDICINE BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Thisinvention relates to containers or receptacles such as medicine bottleswhich are provided with adjustable means adapted to be manually set toindicate the time at which the next dose of medicine should be taken,and it has for one of its objects the provision of an improved device ofthis character of simple and relatively inexpensive construction whichwill be more satisfactory in use than those which have been previouslyproposed. a

While various devices of this general character have been heretoforedevised, the construction of those with which I am familiar has beensuch that settings of the indicator might be and not infrequently wereinadvertently changed as a result of accidentally dropping the containeror through a careless handling thereof by children or adults, wherebythe purpose of the indicator was defeated; and it is a prime object ofthe invention to provide a container having a dose time indicator soconstructed and arranged that it is virtually impossible for a settingthereof to be altered unintentionally.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingconstituting a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a receptacle provided with a timeindicator constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the line3-3 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is an inverted perspective View of the container cap or closuremember.

The receptacle 5 may be formed of any suitable material but it ispreferred to mold it from one of the transparent or translucent plasticcompositions now popular, such composition and the wall thickness of thereceptacle being such as to provide a substantially rigid structure. Theperimetric wall of the receptacle may be rabbeted at the open upper endthereof, as at 6, and at a short distance from this end the said wall isprovided with a series of circumferentially spaced outwardly projectingelements 7, which elements comprise spheroidal heads slightly spacedfrom the wall and integrally connected therewith by reduced necks 8.

As here shown, there are twelve of these elements, equidistantly spacedaround the container perimeter, and these are differentiated from oneanother by means of a series of numerals 9, ranging from 1 to 12,provided on the container wall below and in co-operative relation to therespective elements 7 and constituting horal indicia correspondingthereto.

A cap or closure member 10 is provided for the receptacle 5, here shownas comprising a disk element having a lower portion 11 of reduceddiameter which is adapted to snugly slidably fit into the rabbet 6 atthe open end of the receptacle. At one place on its circumference thecap is provided with an outwardly ex- 2,713,845 Patented July 26, 1955tending projection 12 for engagement by a thumb or finger to aid in theremoval of the cap from the receptacle, and at another point the cap hasan integral flexible tongue 13 depending from it. The cap preferably isformed of a pliable plastic material, and the said tongue is provided,at a position corresponding to the plane of the series of projectingelements 7 when the cap is in place on the container, with a spheroidalrecess or socket 14 having a constricted throat 15 opening to the innerface of the tongue. Below the socket the tongue preferably is tapered toprovide a pointer tab 16 adapted to coact with the various characters 9,as shown in Fig. 1.

As will be readily understood, the cap 10 may be circumferentiallyadjusted relative to the receptacle 5 when placing the cap in closingposition thereon, whereby to aline the tongue 13 and its pointer 16 withany desired numeral of the series 9 on the container, whereupon manualpressure on the outer face of the tongue will cause the socket 14 tosnap over and embrace the spheroidal head of the element 7 correspondingto such numeral. During this action the yieldability of the tonguematerial permits distension of the restricted throat 15 of the socket 14whereby to pass the head of the element 7, and when the head is seatedin the socket the resilience of the material again constricts the throataround the neck 8 of the element. The tongue is thus locked in thedesired position so effectively that it is practically impossible forthe setting of the indicator to be inadvertently destroyed by carelesshandling or drop-' ping of the receptacle, while at the same time thefastening elements 7 and 14 may be readily intentionally disengaged topermit removal of the closure member 10 from the container and/ orchanging of the indicator by merely working the thumb nail beneath thetab 16 and pulling the tongue 13 away from the container. Even if theclosure member 10 be inadvertently or otherwise withdrawn from thereceptacle opening, it is virtually certain that the indicator settingwill not be disturbed, unless the snap fastener elements 7 and 14 areintentionally separated.

If the receptacle is to be used for liquid medicines its wall may beprovided with a vertical series of numerals indicating the number ofteaspoonfuls, tablespoonfuls, ounces, etc. remaining in the container.These indications, however, may be omitted if the receptacle is to beemployed solely for pills, tablets, capsules, etc.

Obviously, the separable snap fastener elements 7 and 14 may be reversedas regards their disposition on the receptacle and cap tonguerespectively, i. e., the container wall may be provided with acircumferential series of sockets and a single headed element 7 providedon the cap tongue 13, without departing from the invention 7 or losingthe advantages inherent therein.

What is claimed is:

1. An indicating device of the character described, comprising areceptacle having an end opening and a perimetric wall which is providedadjacent such opening with a series of differentiated perimetricallyspaced separable snap fastener elements; and a cap member closing saidreceptacle opening and arcuately adjustable relative thereto, said capmember having a tongue extending along said receptacle wall and providedwith a complemental snap fastener element which, through said arcuateadjustment of the cap member, may be volitionally alined with any one ofthe receptacle-carried fastener elements and then interlockingly butseparably engaged therewith to prevent unintentional displacement of thecap and tongue.

2. An indicating device of the character described, comprising areceptacle having an end opening and a perimetric wall which is providedwith a series of differentiated perimetrically spaced headed fastenerelements projecting therefrom; and a cap member closing said receptacleopening and arcuately adjustable relative thereto, said cap memberhaving a tongue extending along said receptacle wall and provided Witharesilient socket which, through said arcuate adjustment of the capmember, may be volitionally alined with any one of said series of headedfastener elements and then separably but interlockingly engagedtherewith toprevent unintentional displacement of the cap and tongue.

3. An indicating device of the character described, comprising areceptacle of substantially rigid plastic composition material having anend opening and a perimetric wall which is provided adjacent suchopening with a series of differentiated perimetrically spacedspheroidally-headed fastener elements projecting therefrom; and a capmember of yieldable plastic composition mate rial closing saidreceptacle opening and arcuately adjustable relative thereto, said capmember having a flexible tongue extending longitudinally along saidreceptacle wall and provided with a resilient spheroidal socket which,through said arcuate adjustment of the cap member, may be volitionallyalined with any one of said spheroidally-headed receptacle-carriedelements and then interlockingly but separably engaged therewith toprevent unintentional displacement of the cap and tongue.

Houck Apr. 6,1937 Guion Feb. 26,1952

